BADBOY-DON

Yesterday, gang.....
I stopped into my local Gig Harbor music store to "buy a bottle of valve oil" RIGHT!!:).
Any one who knows me by now it was BECAUSE I SAW IN THE WINDOW A BRAND NEW COURTOIS EVOLUTION TRUMPET.

When I opened the door, he saw me coming and GEEEE? I didn't even have to ask as he walked over to the window... then reached in and handed it over to my new toy trumpet deprived and deprayed shaking hands.... for my usual
"Alms for the retired poor ol' badboy from Giggity-Haaaaba'

FIRST IMPRESSION!

This beautiful appointed horn was NO LIGHT WEIGHT HORN and was noticably heavy in over all weight perhaps due to that beefy "Monettish" bracing all over the place...Also seemed in the balance dept.... a bit too "NOSE HEAVY?"
I had to noticably hold the horn bell up. Almost like I had a heavy Copper Joral stuck into the bell etc.??
Also equally different and strange was that OVER SIZED DIA. LEAD-PIPE which t included a "knurled' lock for the tuning slide which is located at the mouthpiece receiver end.
I didn't examine just how long that inner telescoping tuning slide protruded down that massive dia. leadpipe. I have always been told by so many trumpet designers that a leadpipe is an extremely difficult and important detail in how a horn plays and performs? (Years ago...I played an old Flug. with a tuning slide at the mp. end and I kept fussin' and fittin' with that vibrating wobbleee' thag every time I tried to retune...)

Included was their own 1 1/2 C Silverplate mouthpiece with a throat that you could almost swear it was "attempting to be a double cupper.

Also strange was that the beautiful matte finished brass plating was the ONLY SILVER ITEM showing on the horn? Why not just a GOLD PLATED "Monettish" one would have been not only more attractive but also more user friendly.
After a careful look at the 1st & 3rd tuning slides..(they were beautifully smooth and tweaked to perfection.

Next I checked out the valve design & construction.
WEIRDLY ROUGH AND UNFINISHED LOOKING?
The valves showed rather noticably large buffing scratches and were pretty tight.....
WHATEVER? I CAN'T WAIT ANY LONGER! UP TO THE OL' CHOPPERS FOR A RIDE ON THAT BIG HEAVY BRASS EVO in my hands.
AHH! TIME FOR A TEST RIDE~

Although I didn't have my Callet horns along for a test comparison...This horn seemed a bit tight in the upper register plus it seemed a bit brassy- and didn't really like being pushed with lots of extra air and volume...this brassy sound took on almost a shrillness. NOT AT ALL WHAT I EXPECTED...but hey...perhaps it was that BIG 1 1/2 C mouthpiece that was the problem. I am used to smaller dia Warburton and Callet double cupped mouthpieces.

ANY HOO! It takes playig in lots of difference places and living with an instrument to really get to know, love or hate etc....Enough about the sound...
Let's get back to the horn itself again...
The valves springs seemed to take quite a bit of muscle, also quite longer in stroke than what I am used too..noticabley quiet..
BUTwhen trying 'half-valve" octave slurs etc....the 3rd valve kept hangin up and seizing...?
HUH?
I then pulled the 3rd valve...wiped it down..(Wow! an amazing amount of Black residue on the wipedown cloth...

I reoiled...tried it again on some cadenzas...flutter finga' stuff...and again...that 3rd valve started to hang up again?

Another re-oil and it started to "come around better" but still NOT PERFECT for what I thought was suppose to be a "PROFESSIONAL GRADE INSTRUMENT" and especially with a price tag way over $3000.00

Leaving me with the QUESTION?
WHY WOULD A BEAUTIFUL HORN THAT WAS A BIT ON THE PRICY SIDE, AND AIMED FOR A WORKING MUSICIAN...COME FROM THE FACTORY WITH THIS KIND OF VALVE PROBLEMO?

Please Courtois lovers....don't take this rather "flippent' quickeee test ride too seriously. Remember I am OLD AND OUT OF TOUCH.

Any one who knows me can attest to the fact that I am NOT THE PLAYER OR MUSICIAN I USED TO BE....and this beautiful horn's appearence and design needs far and away more reseach...
Bottom line:
Guess I am not BAD enough and waaaay to old an old BOY to deserve this kind of instrument in the first and last place.

The Evo that I show...is the double bell, but the one I tried was the regular single piece bell...(otherwise pretty much the same...plus I didn't write down the exact model number.
HEY...TRUMPET TOOTS! TAKE THIS REVIEW WHAT IT'S WORTH...(not much huh?
Let me play my renditions of TRUMPETMASTER BLUZZZ on my old Callet Jazz instead. :)

tatakata

badboy please post some pictures

Vulgano Brother

Thanks for the post & review! Funny thing about the French--art, food, top notch. Cars & weapons, not so hot. They talk funny too.

administrator

BADBOY-DON images

bBullX

ah yes the courtois evolutions! my daddio had played on several of these horns in the past and based on their appearance, really simply didn't play up to par. since then we've moved to wyoming and recently the local music store got a courtois evo 4. my dad played it and was like holy cow this an amazing horn! i'm playing it now and i can't complain. it's a gorgeous horn with the heavyweight bracing and gold matte finish, it's perfect for concert work. the upper register is only second to my dad's stage 1 classic in how open it is. The only real problem for me is that the finish peels off quite quick and i can't get a real bright jazz sound but it's made for concert work so who am i to say? but overall i really like the horn that we got. it's truly a one in a million horn

BADBOY-DON

I agree....that Evo that I tried yesterday was beautifully appointed...and I am pleased to hear that you and your father love that new horn.

Perhaps?.. it was just that toilet bowl sized 1 1/12 C mouthpiece with a very noticable narrow and uncomfortable rim that maybe... gave me the feeling that it not only played tight and restrictive but could have contributed to that slightly pinchy sound?
More than likely....I am just used to my Callet horns and more comfortable mouthpieces with those double cupped wider rimmed features.

Again...this was not meant to be a true test or a review....but simply one of those "QUICK, FIRST IMPRESSIONS...when you are fortunate enough to be allowed to try out a new or different horn that you are not "living with" and I never intended this post to be any thing more than just a "first impression.

I am sure in the right hands....that beautiul Evolution could really be the solution for many gifted and skilled trumpet players....but for this ol' nerd-de-well? Maybe....chances are not.
Today, they are so many new horns available to the gifted and deserving working musicians.
Sadly....It just didn't give me that warm fuzzy friendly...first time comfortable feeling?
Just goes to show you....that U can't look at a froggie' or a new trumpet, to tell how far it can jump. You have to live with em' for a while to know for sure...n' allthatjazz. :)

Veldkamp

Andrea Giuffredi plays Courtois instruments and also this model. Check him out if you don't know him:

YouTube - Andrea Giuffredi with students -Carnaval of Venice

YouTube - Andrea Giuffredi plays Historia de un Amor and Morricone

YouTube - Andrea Giuffredi live at Radio Popolare Milano !

trumpetnick

Andrea is a great musician, and seems that the Evo fits him quite well. I tested the evos, both the dual bell and the other rather heavy version



My personal opinion is that they got the look but not the sound. Though the intonation and the valves of the trumpet I tested were quite good, I did not like the sound at all. I was looking for an orchestral sound which should have enough core and somewhat mellow, but to have also enough projection. Did not found that in the EVO.

nieuwguyski

Don,

That isn't a tuning slide at the mouthpiece receiver, it's an adjustable-gap receiver. At least it was out far enough for the mouthpiece to seat. If you ever play the horn again, try playing with the gap -- that might change some of the response issues in the upper register.

burgerbob

One interesting thing about the Evo IV (I have played the one that bBullX loves) is that the third valve slide is vented somehow, so you can move the slide before a note and not get a big *pop* when you hit the valve. This feature doesnt seem to affect the third valve in any way. The other two slides are normal, pressurized configuration. And i have to comment, the Evo sounds great. The one that bBullX has blows very easily, even with a large bore (.464, i believe) and is exceedingly easy in the upper register. The valves are very smooth and very quick. It really is an excellent horn for concert repertoire.